In recent years, a case increases in which an electronic device, such as a digital camera, a printer, a cell phone, or a smartphone, has a wireless communication function and is connected to a wireless network for use.
To connect the electronic device to the wireless network, it is required to set at least one of various communication parameters, such as an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. As a technology to make setting of such a communication parameter easy, there is a technology disclosed in PTL 1. In PTL 1, an electronic device displays a Quick Response code (QR code, registered trademark, this note will be omitted hereinafter) indicative of a communication parameter. A cell phone reads the QR code by capturing the image of the QR code, and sets the read communication parameter at an access point.
Also, to directly connect electronic devices with one another, connection processing called Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark, this note will be omitted hereinafter) established by Wi-Fi Alliance is defined as a standard. In Wi-Fi Direct, there are two roles of a group owner that operates as a base station and a client that operates as a slave station. Each electronic device determines a role to be used in communication.
As described in PTL 1, by setting a communication parameter upon capturing of code information such as a two-dimensional code that can code much information, troublesome input by a user can be reduced.
Wi-Fi Direct defines that setting a communication parameter by Wi-Fi Direct is executed by communication parameter sharing processing called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) established by Wi-Fi Alliance. However, in case of communication parameter sharing between devices by a connection technology between devices, such as Wi-Fi Direct, for example, it is not considered to apply a method of executing communication parameter sharing processing upon capturing of an image like PTL 1.
For example, in a connection technology between devices, such as Wi-Fi Direct, if communication parameter sharing processing using information on a captured image is executed between devices like PTL 1, it is required to determine the roles of a device that executes image capturing and a device that displays a QR code. In Wi-Fi Direct, the role of the group owner or client has to be determined. Hence, in a connection technology between devices, such as Wi-Fi Direct, if communication parameter sharing processing using information on a captured image is executed, it is required to individually make a plurality of kinds of determination, such as determination on the role whether the base station or the slave station and determination on the role whether to execute image capturing or not. In this way, if a plurality of kinds of determination, such as determination on the role whether the base station or the slave station and determination on the role whether to execute image capturing or not, are individually made, it takes a time until connection, and a processing load may be increased.